Process and apparatus for feeding spinning frames directly from the drawing frame sliver



Jan. 21, 1964 M, CRESPI BOVER 3,118,630

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SPINNING FRAMES DIRECTLY FROM THE DRAWING FRAME SLIVER Filed April 18, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOI? MA RTIN CREsP/ BOVEA ATTORNEYS Jan. 21, 1964 M. CRESPI BOVER 3,118,630

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR FEEDING SPINNING FRAMES DIRECTLY FROM THE DRAWING FRAME SLIVER Filed April 18, 1961 2 SheetsSheet 2 I N v E N 7' F? MA RT/A/ CRESP/ Bow-'1? BYWMM yflww ATT FNEY- United States Patent 3,113,639 PRQCESS AND APPARATUS FGR FEEBTP-IG SPEN- NZNG FRAMES DIRECTLY FROM THE DRAW- ING FRAP/ZE SLKVER Martin firespi Boyer, Barceiena, Spain, assignor to Sacc- Loweii Shops, Easley, $6., a corporation of Maine Filed Apr. 18, E61, Ser. No. 1G3,$69 Claims priority, application Spain May 4, 1960 7 Claims. (Cl. 24254.4)

This invention has to do with an improved process and apparatus for feeding spinning frames, in which the spinning is done directly from the sliver obtained in a drawing frame, and a bobbin winder to produce bobbins of slivers, in accordance with said process.

As is well-known, the processes of direct spinning are based on the supply to the spinning frame of a sliver coming from the fly frame, by avoiding the passage of the said sliver through the traditional fly-frame. This process is applicable, in accordance with the present advance in technique, to a very broad scale of sphining.

This idea, taken up in its most simple form, is the factor that has given rise to the systems known at present for feeding the spinning frames during the process of direct spinning, the majority of which are based on the supply of the sliver in the slubbing cans themselves, the well-known type of creels of the spinning frame being substituted by others of a special type in which a great number of such cans are mounted, together with some slubbing guiding device, more or less complicated, since it is necessary to bear in mind that slubbing has to escape the upper edge of the can following a rising trajectory and then follow another trajectory downwards until it reaches the active organs of the machines in which their condensing, drawing, twisting and winding take place.

To understand the essential disadvantages of these systems, one has to bear in mind that the sliver, when it comes out of the drawing frame, shows its fibres in very parallel formation which has to be maintained at all costs, since it is on this that the quality of the thread eventually produced depends. Moreover, the sliver, on coming out of the drawing frame, has a minimum cohesion, so that any kind of tension, squashing, rubbing or mechanical action that it may undergo is inevitably translated into irregularities in the sliver and a loss of parallel formation of the fibres it is made up of.

On account of this, it will be understood that the long and tortuous trajectory followed by the sliver from inside the can, with a multitude of guide rods on which it glides by friction, with changes of direction and variations in the point of unwinding in the can, is translated into variations of uniforrnness in the sliver, harmful tensions that may end by breaking it, and the loss of the parallel formation of the fibres.

Another system at present in use, consists in producing in a special drawing frame with large sized bobbins with zigzag folding and two ends at a time, the sliver being submitted to the action of a system of leather aprons with a to and fro movement.

This system works to the great detriment of the sliver not only by the process of cohesion, but also because when the two ends are unwound, they suffer various tensions which bring about a lack of uniformity in the unwinding of the bobbin, with possible frictions and interferences.

There are other important disadvantages of an economic nature in the above-mentioned systems that prevent them from being more extensively accepted, and that diminish the all-around advantages of the direct spinning system.

These disadvantages are based on the necessary changing of the creels in the existing spinning frames, which 2 i give rise to a high economic expense for each machine, an expense that is multiplied when it is a question of re adapting a complete plant.

At the same time, in systems using cans, there also crops up a considerable supplementary outlay through the need of providing them, bearing in mind the number necessary for each machine, over and above those circulating and those in reserve.

The object of this invention is a system for feeding the spinning frames in the aforementioned processes of direct spinning, and that does away with all the abovementioned inconveniences while taking advantage integrally of the parallel nature of the fibres and the excellent general preparation that the sliver has received when it comes out of the drawing frame, completely preventing all kinds of tensions and friction of the sliver supplied to the spinning frame which is translated into an important increase in the quality of the thread obtained.

Moreover, this system possesses essential advantages in the economic domain, since it permits the utilizing of the same creels that are used in the spinning machines of the normal type, thus rendering unnecessary their being changed for other special ones. Furthermore, it does not imply any supplementary outlay for auxiliary equipment of any kind.

Another object of the invention consists in supplying a bobbin winder for producing bobbins and ribbons of textile sliver, for the purpose of winding the slivers of the drawing frame onto bobbins with which the spinning frames are then fed in the direct spinning processes, in accordance with the feed system that forms the object of this invention, this machine being capable of being applied both to new spinning installations and to those now in use.

As is well-known, there are various types of bobbinwinders for the production of drawing frame bobbins with a cross winder and with parallel ends, and, in those cases where the so-called bi-coil bobbin-winders are used, which produce at one and the same time two slivers of half the ordinary thickness, both the slivers are wound simultaneously on the same bobbin.

On the other hand, the machine that forms the object of this invention, winds in all cases only one single sliver on each bobbin, forming bobbins with parallel build and with conical ends, that is to sa that the bobbins produced are arranged in the same way as the usual bobbins that come from the drawing frames, and that they can, therefore, be placed directly onto the same classical creels with which spinning frames are usually provided, without the necessity of using special arrangements which occur with the bobbins produced by the already known systems.

Another advantage of the bobbins produced in the machine of this invention consists in the fact that a greater regularity is obtained in the sliver and, consequently, in the resulting threads, since the winding of the sliver is carried out smoothly and in a uniform manner, and further, in an equal volume these bobbins contain a greater weight of sliver.

This machine can be applied directly to the outlet from the drawing frame, or they may be separated as an independent rnachine carrying the sliver from the cans or creels in which it is deposited at the mouth of the drawing frame and winding it onto bobbins with which the spinning frame will then be fed.

The system that is the object of this invention comprises a first phase, in which the sliver produced by the drawing frame is submitted to a condensation which transforms its plane section into a uniform circle, the process then going on to the compressing of the new circular sectioned sliver, while preserving the perfectly parallel relation of the fibres. The sliver obtained in this mannor is then wound onto bobbins in which the coils are parallel and the shed of which is equal to the diameter of the sliver, it being essential that the tension of the sliver be uniform on the bobbin. For this purpose, during the winding, the tangential speed of the bobbin is maintained constant, for which reason, in view of the variation of the diameter of the said bobbin due to the winding of several layers, it is necessary to vary the angular speed of the bobbin progressively.

Furthermore, while the bobbin is being wound, the length of each layer laid uniformly at both ends grows progressively shorter, so that the bobbin takes on a cylindrical shape with both ends conical. The winding of the bobbin can be carried out on a core or nucleus of cardboard or other material, and the greater the simplicity of its construction the lower will be its cost.

A very important advantage of this system lies in the fact that the bobbins obtained may be placed in the same creels of the already existing spinning machines, working in a similar manner to the traditional bobbins obtained on the fly frames. This represents an important economic advantage, by enabling this system to be applied immediately.

Further, by means of this system the homogeneous and parallel characteristics of the fibres on coming out of the drawing frame are preserved intact on the spinning frame, thus obtaining higher qualities in the resulting thread. This is achieved particularly by the system of feeding the spinning machine, since the sliver unwinds smoothly, without jerking or friction.

Another advantage of this system lies in the fact that the weight of the sliver on the bobbins obtained is greater than that from creels and other systems already known, while occupying less space and being easier to place and fix.

The winding'frame used to make the bobbins of sliver of the drawing frame with which the spinning machines are fed according to the system of the invention comprises one or two drawing drums for each single or double sliver, operated at a constant peripheral speed, and on which the bobbins, that are about to be formed, rest. The said drawing drums are mounted on a carrier that can move on guide rollers in a direction parallel to the axis of the drums, and therefore, to the axis of the bobbins, and the latter is given a to and fro movement in relation to some fixed funnels that deliver the previously condensed and compressed fibres so as to give them a circular section and the necessary cohesion amongst the fibres, so thatthe delivery point of the sliver by the funnel will always correspond to the point at which it has to be wound around the bobbin, and in this way no harmful forcing is exercised on the sliver.

The special characteristic of this machine is the mech-.

anisms that'compose it to bring about the parallel winding of the sliver and to form the conical ends of the bobbin to the end that it may be of the right consistency.

For this purpose the machine compises a reversing mechanism for the carrier that carries the winding drums, the mechanism of which, at each reverse, slightly reduces the speed of the carrier so that each layer of the sliver wound will be shorter than the preceding one, thus obtaining the conical ends that give solidity to the bobbin.

The machine further comprises a mechanism for bringing about a change of speed in the movement of the carrier to compensate for the effects of the diiference n diameter of the bobbin, while it is being formed, for the purpose of assuring that the coils of the winding parallel with the sliver, remain as close together in the outer layers as in the inner ones.

A more detailed description of the machine which is the object of this present invention, is set forth below 7 with reference to the attached drawings in which a preferred example is shown of the construction of the machine.

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the machine.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of one end of the machine, with some parts in section.

The machine comprises a frame 1 in the upper part of which there is mounted a carriage 2 that extends through the whole length of the machine and is arranged in such a way that it can slide backwardly and forwardly by means of the guides 3 and 4-7 that rest on rollers 4 and 48 and is guided laterally by other rollers 5 and 49. On this carriage there are mounted, in such a way that they may rotate, by means of the supports 6 and 63, a series of drums 7 and 59 so placed as to correspond to each one of the slivers that have to be wound, The slivers pass through some condensing funnels and between the compressing rollers-not represented hereor through any other suitable device that will transform the plane section ofiered by the sliver at its egress from the drawing frame into a circular section, and that suitably compresses it to produce a certain adherence between the fibres, thus increasing the consistency of the slivers. They are delivered through the fixed funnels 8 and 51 that form one or two longitudinal rows according to whether the drawing frame used is of the single sliver system or the bi-coil system respectively, and on which rest the bobbins 9 being formed, the cores or nuclei of which slide by their ends in the sloping guides 16 and 52.

The main shaft 11 of the machine is driven by a motor or by some appropriate transmission, and from this shaft 11 the movement is transmitted by means of the transmission chain or belt 12 to an'upper axle 13 on which the drum '7 can slide axially, but non-rotatively by means of an interior projection 14 of the hub of the drum, which projection fits into a longitudinal slot 15 in the axle 13. In the case where two rows of drums '7 and 59 have been adapted for driving the bobbins, those in the second row will be driven by an axle similar to the axle 13 of the first, receiving its movement from axle 13 through the gears 16, 61 and 62.

The driving drums 7 and 50 thus are given a uniform movement and, consequently, the sliver is wound at a speed that is also uniform onto the bobbins 9, which move along the guides It) and 52. as their diameter increases. These guides ltland 52 are situated with a convenient slope so that the angle formed between the bobbin 9 and the driving drum remains approximately constant.

At the same time that the rotation of the driving drums '7 and St is taking place, the carriage 2 that is supporting them receives a to and fro movement on the rollers 4 and 48 whereby, the above mentioned funnels 8'and 51 being fixed, the sliver winds itself around the bobbin 9 in successive layers of parallel coils.

This to and fro movement of the carriage Zis brought about from the main shaft 11, through a speed changer by a belt 46 that drives an axle 7, at the end of which is fixed a conical pinion 18 which can be made to mesh into one or the other of two opposing conical gears 19 and 53, which can move on an axle 20 that, by means of the two gears 54 and 21 drives a pinion 22 which, in its turn, meshes with a toothed rack 23 fixed to the movable carriage 2.

On this carriage 2 there are placed two. electric contacts 24 and 55 that cooperate with two other contacts 25 and 57 mounted on supports 26 and 58, the position of which may be altered along a rod 2'? fixed to the chassis or framework of the machine in such a way that when the carriage 2 has come to the end of each of its to and fro runs, the said contacts 25 close the circuit of one or the other of the contrary action electromagnets 28 and 56, compelling a common nucleus 29 to slide in the corresponding direction. The nucleus is jointed to a lever 35 mounted so as. to osciliate on a fixed point 31, and which ends in a fork 32 that determines the displacement of the whole group composed or" the two conical gears 19 and 53, to engage one or the other of said conical gears with the corresponding pinion 18, thus bringing about the reversing of the movement of the carriage 2 at each layer of Winding of the bobbins.

As will be understood, in order that the bobbins be shaped with their conical ends, it is necessary that the breadth of the to and fro movement of the carriage 2 that bears the Winding drums and the bob ins, should diminish progressively at each new layer of Winding. For this purpose, the supports 26 and 58 of the contacts are each provided with proiongations 33 and 59 screwed onto a double threaded inverse shaft 34, and the fork 32 that moves the conical gears 19 and 53 has a prolongation 35 that, by means of a system of levers 36 and 60, brings into action a locking mechanism 38 fixed to the end of said shaft 34 in such a Way that with each oscillation of the lever 30 the shaft 34 makes a fraction of a turn corresponding to one tooth of the cog Wheel of the locking device 38, and causes the contacts 25 and 57 to approach each other sli htly, thns bringing about a limitation of the breadth of the movement of the carriage 2.

At the opposite end of the shaft 34 there is fixed a similar toothed Wheel 41, the hub of Which, mounted on a fixed support 42, is screwed onto another shaft 4-3, transmitting by means of the lever 44 its movement to a movable pulley 45 of the speed changing device of the trapezoidal belt 46. The object of this arrangement is to diminish progressively the speed of changing the carriage 2 and also that of the drive drums and of the bobbins, so as to cause the Winding of the sliver to be carried out at an even and constant pace in spite of the increase in diameter of the bobbins, thus procuring that the coils lay as evenly separated in the outer layers of the bobbin as in the inner ones.

I claim:

1. A process for feeding spinning machines directly from a drawing frame, comprising condensing a sliver from the drawing frame to a uniform circular formation, subjecting said sliver to a pressure that enables it to retain the parallel form of the fibers, then Winding said sliver on a cylindrical bobbin movable transversely to its axis at a speed proportional to the thickness of said bobbin while maintaining the tangential speed of the bobbin constant during the winding, and then decreasing progressively and symmetrically the length of each layer of sliver Wound thus obtaining a perfect homogeneity of the sliver and a winding free of friction and mechanical tension.

2. A Winding machine for slivers comprising a main shaft, a carriage, means for reciprocating said carriage from said main shaft, two driving drums mounted on said carriage, means for revolving said drums With a uniform movement, a funnel, means supporting an equal number of bobbins resting on said drums movable transversely to their axes on which are Wound individually in parallel contiguous coils the slivers delivered each by its respective funnel and previously subjected to a condensing and to a compressing, means for slightly reducing each layer of Winding of the sliver to reduce the conical shape at the ends of the bobbin, and means for slightly reducing with each layer of winding the speed of movement of said carriage, so that the pace of winding of the sliver remains constant in spite of the progressive increase in the diameter of the bobbin.

3. A Winding machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein an axle is provided driven with a uniform speed upon which said drums are non-rotatively and slidably mounted,

4. A Winding machine as set forth in claim 2 wherein said means for reciprocating said carriage comprises a set of cogs, a toothed pinion cooperating vith said cogs, an axle for driving said pinion, a pair of conical gears mounted slidably on said last named axle, and a conical pinion driven by said main shaft meshing alternately with said conical gears.

5. A Winding machine in accordance With claim 4 wherein said last named axle is driven by said main sh ft by a speed-changing device comprising a belt and a displaceable pulley cooperating with said belt.

6. A Winding machine in accordance with claim 2 wherein a reversing mechanism is provided for the reciprocation of said carriage comprising two electromagnets of opposite action, an electrical circuit for said electromagnets, a common sliding core for said electromagnets movable in either direction, and means controlled by said core reversing the movement of said carriage.

7. A winding machine in accordance with claim 6 wherein contacts for said circui are provided on said carriage and cooperating contacts are threaded on an inverse double-threaded spindle that makes a fraction of a turn at each reversal of said carriage, the means for rotating said spindle comprising a locking mechanism and a system of levers operating said locking mechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A PROCESS FOR FEEDING SPINNING MACHINES DIRECTLY FROM A DRAWING FRAME, COMPRISING CONDENSING A SILVER FROM THE DRAWING FRAME TO A UNIFORM CIRCULAR FORMATION, SUBJECTING SAID SILVER TO A PRESSURE THAT ENABLES IT TO RETAIN THE PARALLEL FORM OF THE FIBERS, THEN WINDING SAID SLIVER ON A CYLINDRICAL BOBBIN MOVABLE TRANSVERSELY TO ITS AXIS AT A SPEED PROPORTIONAL TO THE THICKNESS OF SAID BOBBIN WHILE MAINTAINING THE TANGENTIAL SPEED OF THE BOBBIN CONSTANT DURING THE WINDING, AND THEN DECREASING PROGRESSIVELY AND SYMMETRICALLY THE LENGTH OF EACH LAYER OF SLIVER WOUND THUS OBTAINING A PERFECT HOMOGENEITY OF THE SLIVER AND A WINDING FREE OF FRICTION AND MECHANICAL TENSION. 